The Rainbow Mensans dine out, host potlucks, sponsor cocktail parties, go to museums, march in the pride parade, engage in book discussions, hold an occasional trivia contest and interact with other groups.

Activities of American MENSA® and Chicago Area MENSA®

Monthly Meetings and Monthly Activities

For members of MENSA®, Chicago Area MENSA® conducts monthly meetings (called Monthly Gatherings or MGs) featuring speakers, gaming, hospitality and socializing.  In addition, every week there are a variety of activities such as dining, movie-going, gaming and outings to name a few.

Shared Interest Groups, AKA Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Sharing common interests is a great way to make friends.  As a Mensan, you are eligible to join more than 130 national SIGs and a half dozen local SIGs.  You can even form your own group.

Global Travel Program, AKA SIGHT (Service of Information, Guidance, and Hospitality to Travelers)

MENSA® has a global travel program for members of MENSA® which connects travelers to hosts in the U.S. and in many countries throughout the world.  You can be either and many are both  The program is a unique opportunity to form enriching friendships unlimited by geography.

Gaming

If you enjoy casual gaming or like serious competition or both, American MENSA®, Ltd. and Chicago Area MENSA® offer a multitude of gaming opportunities, some of which are open to the public. These activities include an annual national weekend retreat (called a Gathering of Gamers or “AGOG”) held right here in Chicago, a variety of games at Chicago Area MENSA®’s monthly meetings (called Monthly Gathers or “MGs”), games in members’ private homes during the month, at our regional (see below) and annual conventions (called Gatherings), and more.

HalloweeM—Regional Convention

WeeM is Chicago Area MENSA®’s regional convention (Regional Gathering or RG).  It is the largest U.S. MENSA® convention other than American MENSA®’s annual convention (Annual Gathering or AG).  WeeM includes seminars, hospitality (read: socializing), all-night gaming and a huge trivia contest. WeeM is generally held the last weekend of October and is open to the public.  Membership in American MENSA® qualifies you for a discount. For more, click here.

Other Special Events

Among the special events are the Rainbow Mensans participation in is the annual Chicago Pride Parade and a Pride Luncheon immediately afterwards. More special events include the Annual Gathering and International Gathering a/k/a conventions. These are generally open to the public. Also of interest are CultureQuest®, an annual nationwide contest exclusively for members of American MENSA® designed to test your knowledge of culture, and Colloquium, a forum to discuss current topics.